Biology subjects

Cross, E. S.

Publications and source records attributed to Cross, E. S..

7 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

A longitudinal fNIRS hypercanning data set of same generation and intergenerational relationship development and collaboration

Social disconnection (i.e., loneliness and social isolation) poses a severe risk to health and is particularly prevalent among older adults. Qualitative and behavioural evidence suggests that intergenerational social interactions can mitigate social disconnection by offering opportunities for adults to form new social connections, yet the neurophysiological and kinematic processes underpinning relationship formation remain poorly understood. This article presents and validates the InterGenSynchrony Dataset- a longitudinal, multimodal hyperscanning dataset acquired during a 6-session program, where 30 same generation and 31 intergenerational dyads met as strangers and became acquainted through creative drawing. The dataset includes dyads concurrent recordings of brain activity (i.e., fNIRS hyperscanning), motion capture, self-report measures including loneliness, collaborative behavioural scores, drawings (artefacts of collaboration), subjective experiences in text and interview forms. This dataset is optimised for multimodal investigations into the neural, physiological, behavioural, kinematic, and subjective aspects of relationship formation within and between generations in a real-world setting.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Two-brain states during collaborative drawing reflect leader-follower dynamics in intergenerational dyads

Engaging with others in social scenarios can result in the alignment of brain activity between individuals. Dyadic (i.e., hyperscanning) studies typically estimate average region-specific levels of connectivity between brains (as opposed to within brains) across a given task to quantify brain activity alignment. This approach assumes symmetric interactions with equal and mutual adaptation from both dyad members, excluding asymmetric (e.g., leader-follower) contexts. Such approaches also obscure spatial dynamics (i.e., relationship between different brain regions) and temporal dynamics during unfolding interactions. To overcome these challenges, we took a data-driven approach to quantify within- and between-brain connectivity during collaborative drawing among dyads. Specifically, we used sliding windows and Riemannian-geometry-based k-means clustering to identify recurrent two-brain states while 61 dyads drew alone and together at 6 weekly timepoints. Thirty dyads comprised young adults only (same generation) and 31 dyads comprised one older and one younger individual (intergenerational). We identified 7 two-brain states, 3 of which were specific to real (not pseudo) dyads. One two-brain state showed convincing evidence of sensitivity to collaboration context: During collaborative drawing, low-to-medium between-brain connectivity and prominent within-brain connectivity in bilateral IFG in a single dyad member arose for longer periods in intergenerational than same generation dyads (co-occurring with reduced turn-taking behaviour). No two-brain state showed evidence of longitudinal changes across sessions. These findings inform recent accounts of neural dynamics that emphasise the complementary roles of within-brain and between-brain connectivity. Furthermore, they suggest that state-based analyses can inform neural dynamics in a way not captured by traditional analysis techniques. HighlightsO_LITwo-brain states can characterise within- and between-brain connectivity. C_LIO_LISeven two-brain states identified using data-driven approach. C_LIO_LIIntergenerational collaborative drawing linked to asymmetric connectivity. C_LI

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Cardiac synchrony remains stable across repeated intergenerational encounters but is enhanced during high stakes collaboration

Intergenerational social programs provide opportunities for people of all ages to form new relationships. Furthermore, existing qualitative and behavioural evidence from such programs points to health and wellbeing benefits, yet the physiological consequences of repeated intergenerational encounters remain unknown. A deeper understanding of how such programs shape dyadic physiological responses will illuminate the mechanisms of relationship formation. Across a six-session collaborative drawing program, we tracked cardiac synchrony within 31 intergenerational (older/younger adult) and 30 same generation (younger adult) dyads. Each session dyads completed self-report measures, then drew together and alone, while we recorded participants actions with motion capture and physiological signals (neural and cardiac) using fNIRS. Collaborative behaviour, self-reported social closeness, and interpersonal distance (i.e., proximity) showed group-specific patterns, whereby interpersonal distance emerged as a promising objective measure of relationship development. Cardiac synchrony did not covary with group, task, an interaction thereof or any measure of behaviour or social closeness-yet there was a trending relationship between collaboration while drawing together and cardiac synchrony for intergenerational dyads only. In summary, cardiac synchrony pointed to marginally enhanced arousal during active collaboration between older and younger adults. Relationship development was better characterised, in this study, by behaviour and self-report measures than cardiac synchrony.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Longitudinal intergenerational hyperscanning reveals indices of relationship formation and loneliness

Loneliness is globally acknowledged as a severe and burgeoning health risk, fuelling interest in helping people of all ages form meaningful social connections. One promising approach consists of intergenerational social programs. While behavioural and qualitative evidence derived from such programs promise health and wellbeing benefits, the physiological consequences of repeated intergenerational encounters remain unknown. Insight into physiological changes will shed light on the mechanisms of social connection. We charted longitudinal changes in interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) in 31 intergenerational (older/younger adult) and 30 same generation (younger adult) dyads across a six-session creative drawing program. At each session, dyads completed self-report measures, drew together and alone, and had their cortical activation recorded with fNIRS. In both groups, INS was greater while dyads drew together than alone. Across sessions, intergenerational dyads INS decreased and same generation dyads INS increased. INS in RIFG[~]RTPJ and RIFG[~]RIFG were predictive of loneliness levels and feelings of social closeness, respectively. This exploratory longitudinal research reinforces the multi-faceted nature of INS dynamics as social connections are forged.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Evaluation of the neutralising antibody response in human and hamster sera against SARS-CoV-2 variants up to and including BA.2.86 using an authentic virus neutralisation assay

New vaccines, therapeutics and immunity elicited by natural infection create evolutionary pressure on SARS-CoV-2 to evolve and adapt to evade vaccine-induced and infection-elicited immunity. Vaccine and therapeutics developers thus find themselves in an "arms race" with the virus. The ongoing assessment of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants remains essential as the global community transitions from an emergency response to a long-term management plan. Here, we describe how an authentic virus neutralisation assay using low passage clinical virus isolates has been employed to monitor resistance of emerging virus variants to neutralising antibodies from humans and experimentally infected hamsters. Sera and plasma from people who received three doses of a vaccine as well as those who received a bivalent booster were assessed against SARS-CoV-2 variants, up to and including JN.1. Contemporary or recent virus variants showed substantial resistance to neutralisation by antibodies from those who had received three doses of an ancestral vaccine but were still effectively neutralised by antibodies from individuals who had received a bivalent booster (ancestral/BA.1). In our recent studies, however, the JN.1 VOI was found to be significantly more resistant to neutralisation by antibodies from those who had received the ancestral/BA.1 bivalent boost. Convalescent sera from hamsters that had been experimentally infected with one of seven virus variants (ancestral, BA.1, BA.4, BA.5.2.1, XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16, XBB.2.3) were also tested here. The recent contemporary variant, BA.2.86, was effectively neutralised by sera from hamsters infected with XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16 but it was not neutralised by sera from those infected with BA.5.2.1. These data support the recommendations given by the WHO that a new vaccine was required and should consist of an XBB sub-lineage antigen.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Beyond human-likeness: Socialness is more influential when attributing mental states to robots

We sought to replicate and expand previous work showing that the more human-like a robot appears, the more willing people are to attribute mind-like capabilities and socially engage with it. Forty-two participants played games against a human, a humanoid robot, a mechanoid robot, and a computer algorithm while undergoing functional neuroimaging. Replicating previous studies, we confirmed that the more human-like the agent, the more participants attributed a mind to them. However, exploratory analyses revealed that beyond humanness, the perceived socialness of an agent appeared to be as important, if not more so, for mind attribution. Our findings suggest that top-down knowledge cues are just as important, if not more so, than bottom-up stimulus cues when exploring mind attribution in non-human agents. While further work is now required to test this hypothesis directly, these preliminary findings hold important implications for robotic design and to understand and test the flexibility of human social cognition when people engage with artificial agents.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2018

A neurocognitive investigation of the impact of socialising with a robot on empathy for pain

To what extent can humans form social relationships with robots? In the present study, we combined functional neuroimaging with a robot socialising intervention to probe the flexibility of empathy, a core component of social relationships, toward robots. Twenty-six individuals underwent identical fMRI sessions before and after being issued a social robot to take home and interact with over the course of a week. While undergoing fMRI, participants observed videos of a human actor or a robot experiencing pain or pleasure in response to electrical stimulation. Repetition suppression of activity in the pain network, a collection of brain regions associated with empathy and emotional responding, was measured to test whether socialising with a social robot leads to greater overlap in neural mechanisms when observing human and robotic agents experiencing pain or pleasure. In contrast to our hypothesis, functional region-of-interest analyses revealed no change in neural overlap for agents after the socialising intervention. Similarly, no increase in activation when observing a robot experiencing pain emerged post-socialising. Whole-brain analysis showed that, before the socialising intervention, superior parietal and early visual regions are sensitive to novel agents, while after socialising, medial temporal regions show agent sensitivity. A region of the inferior parietal lobule was sensitive to novel emotions, but only during the pre-socialising scan session. Together, these findings suggest that a short socialisation intervention with a social robot does not lead to discernible differences in empathy toward the robot, as measured by behavioural or brain responses. We discuss the extent to which longer term socialisation with robots might shape social cognitive processes and ultimately our relationships with these machines.

neuroscience↗